Public transit should not be a border checkpoint

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What We Want

We believe our public transit system should not be a border checkpoint. Translink and Transit Police should not ask for or retain immigration status information, and should they learn of someone’s immigration status they should not share that information with Canada Border Services Agency. Even police agencies in the U.S. are refusing to enforce federal immigration laws.

We call on Metro Vancouver’s TransLink, the Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation, and the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Police Service (Transit Police) to:1) End the race and class based profiling of people on our public transit system and ensure access without fear of criminalization or deportation to all residents.

2) Stop turning people over to CBSA and stop enforcing federal immigration law, particularly given that most Transit Police referrals to CBSA are for situations where no warrant even exists.

3) Terminate the existing Memorandum of Understanding between Transit Police and Canada Border Services Agency and not enter into any such future collaborations with CBSA.

4) Ensure that a range of identification is accepted as sufficient to verify identity. This can range from passport, birth certificate or photo ID from country of origin; valid or expired immigration or visa documents; community center, public library, or food bank identification; bank card or tax forms; lease or any bill with place of residence; or a notarized letter.

5) Remove the CBSA Enforcement and Intelligence Division, CBSA Investigations Tip Line, and Immigration Warrant Response Center phone numbers as well as all immigration-related databases such as Immigration Detainees Management System from Translink and Transit Police databases.

ORGANIZATIONAL SIGNATORIES:

If you are part of a group, email us ( transportnotdeport@gmail.com ) if you endorse our five demands: